The trans-siberian mainline

Siberia is a vast expanse of land that stretches across Russia from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. In the 19th century Siberia [to be] Russia’s frontier—thinly populated, largely unexplored, yet possessing vast economic potential. Settlement in the region [to remain] sparse until the building of the unique Trans-Siberian Railroad, which [to connect] the European part of the country with the Pacific Coast and [to make] large-scale immigration possible. According to Minister of Railways S.Yu. Witte: “The Great Siberian Railway [to breathe] new life into boundless Siberian lands.”

The history of railway construction in Russia [to start] at the end of the 19^th century. Railway mainlines [to lay down] from the Western borders of the country to St. Petersburg and Moscow, from the center to the Volga region and from the Urals to Central Asia. In 1892 the railway network in Russia [to have] a total length of 32,000 km. That very year Samara-Zlatoust railway [to build] which later became a liaison between railways in the European part of Russia and the Trans-Siberian Mainline.

On March 15, 1891 Alexander III [to issue] an imperial prescript addressed to future Emperor Nicholay II which [to state]: “I command to start constructing a railway across all Siberia to connect the Siberian region with the European part of Russia. I also entrust you with ground-breaking* of the Great Siberian Track in Vladivostok.”

Two projects of the future mainline [to propose] – “the southern version” and “the northern version”. “The northern version” suggested by the Minister of Railways K.N. Posyet [to win]. According to his project the railway [to be] shorter by 400 km and was passing by the Siberian high road** and populated areas.

The building of the Great Siberian Track [to begin] in 1893. Work [to start] at the same time from both the eastern and western terminals. The plan originally [to call] for an all-Russian road, but a treaty with China in 1896 [to enable] the Russians to construct an 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) line through Manchuria, thus shortening the distance to Vladivostok. After Manchuria [to pass] to Japanese hands following the Russian-Japanese War of 1904—05, the Russians [to proceed] with a longer railway entirely on their own territory. Construction rates [to be] very fast despite the fact that the railroad [to go] through swamps, thick taiga, [to cross] major rivers and huge mountains. One of the main obstacles to completion of the line [to be] Lake Baikal, where there [to be] ferry service. A loop around the lakeshore [to complete] in 1905. By 1916 the Amur River line north of the Chinese border [to finish], and there [to be] a continuous railway on Russian land from Moscow across Siberia. In less than 25 years more than 8,600 km of track [to lay down].

The building of the gigantic mainline [to be] a heroic deed accomplished by Russian construction workers thanks to their tenacious efforts and courage. At first 10,000 workers [to take part] in the construction. Later, their number [to go up] to 100,000. Some of Trans-Siberian stations bear their names – Rukhlovo, Vyazemskaya, Baranovsky, Snarsky, Adrinovka, etc.

Notes: *ground-breaking – начало строительства (дороги)

**high road – тракт

Ex.32. True or false? Correct the false statements.

1) The Trans-Siberian Mainline connects the Asian part of Russia with the Pacific Coast. 2) Alexander III commanded to start constructing the Great Siberian Track. 3) Six projects of the construction were proposed. 4) The project of the Minister of Railways S.Yu. Witte won. 5) The first rail of the future Trans-Siberian Railway was laid down in Vladivostok. 6) The length of this railway is more than 80,600 km. 7) About 5,000 workers took part in the mainline construction. 8) The track went through swamps and taiga. 9) One of the main obstacles to completion of the line was the Pacific Ocean. 10) The construction lasted 15 years. 11) The Great Siberian Railway breathed new life into boundless Siberian lands. 12) The building of the gigantic mainline was a heroic deed accomplished by English construction workers

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